Elastic wheel.



M. S. DE CARMONA.

LASTIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION msn IAR. I6, Isn.

1,272,923. Patented July 16, 191.8.

' 7 @la/IM 14 J` 29 wirf/5885s: 7 l nwflvmn l t Z0 jmuelxdeaamm zzla 1%@ A TTORNEY stmfriis PATENT orriciaA nimm. s. camions., or Mexico, mexico, r

iiLas'rIc WHEEL.

Specieation of Letters Patent. Patented `July 16, 1918..

Appunti@ sied xareh is. i914. serial No. 824,804.

simple, durable, and eilicent wheel of this character, which will dispense not only with pneumatic tires, but in some cases even with 'thebody-springs of the vehicle.

l For this purpose, I have devised a special novel construction of an elastic wheel or spring whl, in accordance with the principles explained hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, which represent, as examples, two forms `of my invention. i

Reference is to be hadto said drawings, in which Figure 1 is, in' its upper portion, a transverse radial section, and, in its lower ggtion, an end elevation, of a wheel emying my invention- Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the w eel; Fig. 3 shows in transverse section, a portion of a Wheel diffe slightl from theconstruction shown in Flgs.---1fan 2; Figs. 4 and 5 show details of cet-tain connecting members referred to hereiifter; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are respectively a complete side elevation, a transverse axial' section, and a partial side elevation of the wheel, these three views illushating the operation vof my invention.

Thenew wheel comprises a central portionor# hub 1, of lgi character mounted on tlie`sliaft or axle 2. At both ends or faces -of this hub or dr'umr are secured elastic rings 13, allftheserings being cf--the same interior cir planes beingperpendicular to the `axis of the wheel) are of .different radial widths, "the iniieniiost l n Y, eiiteriordiameter, and the diameter inr j.:

V'Each set of rin .foi-ms" a gradu- "ted spring; simi ar, when viewed of each-set having the f fronrthe innermost tothe outer- 5i in cross section (Figs. 1, 3, and 7) toan ordim'ry leaf-spring such as used in carriages.

Amember 410 or 10.

, vided at each endet-'t t V'Decisions:9 -9,..yII1F-1gs li 32a-A111516 @859116 -endof ea To properly hold these elastci'ings, the huh' 1 may be provided with shoulders oifuilan esY 4. against which said rin are pressed `y rigid securin rings 5 fit around the fouter portions of t e hub, and byy bolts parallel to the axis of the wheel,l with nuts 'screwed on one end of each boltthe bolti-ilpass through holes in the rig'i clamping lor se curing rings 5While the 'elastic'rings {"llyiiaver4 inwardly open radial slof/S 7, and theilianges 4 outwardly open radial slots 8 for the .reception of said bolts. Of gourse,"(oilfcular) holas might be substandard-the 'radin slots 7 and 8. i i

3 of @ich set are connectedllby means-,giur clined ruis-\9 of wires orlaci orlother suitable liexible material, 7' edges of an exterior elastic lginglo'ltie .mme ber 10, said runs or connections a A clined alternately in opposite directioiiavras 'will be seen best in Figs, l, 2,1.,''l`he tire member v10 is siriiplfyl a. lient to cylindrical curvature,I offgsteelor other suitable materialiAs alternatecoii'i nections 9 extend from opposite ends ofl'the tire member 10 to oppositerings 3., ,the con nections will appear in thesha of in a section taken lengt wise oilie W aris,see Figs'. 1 and?, y y 1 l It is not absolutely necessary thatthe connections 9 should crossieachvother, but in some cases, when a very high` degree ci elasticity is required, as withit elanding wheels of aeroplanes, it will,YbeAgp."i-eferable,A er# Vrange the connections.' in Vv .f4ashion, as

shown in Fig. 3, the two membersof V lying in the same (radial) planaand' the connections 9 being p secured. tof` thellcent portion of the tire member 1(' ;',.f if;

Any suitable construction maybeadixted fo'r' connecting the .wires (orlfthe 9 with the elastic rings, `3 and, withfheitire brackets 11 of the shape slroiai-i A4besti1i,.,i`ig.` 4, riveted or otherwisesecured thcpouter edges 4 of the` widest, rings z3 andlof Ltire member 10, v are ,each proyided inclined *portion with `an. openi .lthroughygliich extends the connecting., ooleoyepro asevera;- exi eleonconnection 9 issecuredtoa 3 and the k'other end to 'the tire memblllil in Fig. 3, both ends of each connection 9 are secured to rings 3, and the central por# betrachfel,

EOL exmalefaiiiilar,

The outer edges of the,.,widest elastic tion of each connection is enga ed with a suitable eye or guide 10 fastene to the central portion of the tire member 10'.

(')ii the outer surface of the tire member 10 or 10 is arranged the tread member or tread portion 14 or 14', Vmade of' rubber or other flexible and elastic material, but preferably of a material which. is simply flexible, such as leather. This tread portion is an endless band, (originally) of slightly Smaller diameter than the tire member or 10 and provided with cuts or score lines, extending preferably in a transverse direction. Some of these incisions, as indicated at 15, are arranged on the central portion of the band, and do not extend to its edges; others, alternating in position with the incisions 16, extend inwardly from the edges; these edge cuts are designated by the reference numeral 16. These cuts allow the diameter of the tread band to be enlarged by stretching it, so that it may be placed on the tire ring 10 or 10'. Small springs 17 of the type shown in lFig. 5 are secured by one end to the respective ed es of the tire member 10, as b means of hoo s 18 arranged to fit into noto es 19- at the edges of the tire member and by theother end to the tread band 14. The\S-shaped or 8-shaped central portion of surfaces of the tread band and of the tire member (see Fig. 1) and these springs tend to stretch the tread band transversely, thereby contracting or closing the incisions 15, 16 and thus diminishing the diameter of the tread band. The said band will thus be shrunk on the tire member, so as to adhere to it closely and to follow it in all its movements and deformations.

In order to prevent .any longitudinal creepin of the tread band on the tire member, eac of the springs 17 may be provided with a small projection 20 adapted to enter one of a series of evenly spaced holes or notches 21 o'f the tire member. The bent point or barb 20' passes through the tread band near its edge as shown in Fig. 1. When the tread band is made of rubber or like material (as at 14' in Fig. 3), the incisions 15 and 16 will be su eriluous, it being sullicient to secure the e ges of the band to those of the tire member 10 by the springs 17, it being understood that the diameter of the elastic tread band is such that the band will by its elasticity contract upon the tire member 10.

The operation is very simple and readily understood. From an examination of the construction above described, it will be evident that every movement of the tire inember 10 or 10 away from the shaft or axle 2 of the wheel, will cause the rings 3 to be flexed elastic-ally at the corresponding portion of the wheel (see the upper part of 65 Fig. 7). the oblique pull of the wires or each spring lies flat between the adjacent,

other flexible connections 9 (or 9') brin 'ng the outer edges of the opposing sets of rings 3 toward each other. On the other hand, every movement of the tire member toward the axis of the wheel, will simply canse the tire member to be deformed elastically, the connections 9 becoming slack at such oini's, as shown at the lower portion of ig. T. That is to say, the tiri` member or rim l0 or 10' is loose or floating, being susceptible of deformation toward and from the axis, and being brought back to its` original position by its own elasticity and by that of the rings 3.

Thus, in Figs. 6 and 7 the weight resting on the shaft or axle 2 causes said shaft or axle, together with the rigid hub -1 and the elastic rings 3 to move downward, so -that these parts will move awayl from the upper Portion of. the tire member 10, the connections 9 at this part of the wheel causing the elastic rings 3 to be bent inward or toward each other, at the segment 22 indicated by horizontal dotted lines in. Fig. 6. At the same time, the tire member 10 has` becomeA deformed (flattened) ai its loweiI portion, where it is in Contact with the ground; this portion of the tire member im thus come nearer the center or axis of the wheel, the connections 9 at this portion of the wheel becoming slack and sagging, as indicated at the bottom in Fig. 7. Since however the tire member is inextensible (of constant length), the flattening of its lower portion will produce two elastic deformations 23 and 24 in the opposite (outward) direction at each side of ,said flattened ortion, the corresponding portions of the rings 3 being thereby deflected downwardly and inwardly, that is to say, toward each other, as indicated by the inclined dotted lines marking the segments 25 and 26 in Fig, (i. Inasmuch as the elastic rings are no longer plane when deformed at 22, 25, 26 in the manner just referred to, they will be stiffened considerably against an` bending of the two rings 3 bodily lengthwise ofthe axis under strains such as'iend to produce skidding; the stilfening influence of these bends or deflections 22, 25, 26 will be similar to the effect of strengthening ribs provided on said rings, but of course the position of these deflected ortions or segments changes constantly as t e wheel revolves. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the axle or shaft 2 is no longer at the center of the tire member, many of the connections 9 have ceased to lie in radial planes as they do normally, and asV these connections become inclined with respect to radial planes, they cause the distance between the tire member and the rings 3 to be diminished, particularly at the Fpoints marked 27 and 28 in Fig. 6; this produces elastic deflections, either of the tire member which is thus f broughtcloser to the rings 3, or of the said elastlc rings 3. .It will be obvious that the resultant of all these elastic reactions and ilexions is directed vertically upward and passes through the axis of the wheel, so that the entire system is in equilibrium.

It will be observed that the tire member or 10 may, without any objectionable result, be deformed to such an extent as to 10 take a curvature of the opposite kind to its normal curvature, that is to say, the said tire member may evenY become concave in places, as indicated in Fig. 8, so as to yield to small obstacles (such as 29) in very much the same mannerthat an ordinary pneumatic tire is indented or deformed locally under similar conditions. I desire t0 point out, however, that the showing of deformations, etc., has been greatly exaggerated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, for the purpose of illustrating the operation more clearly.

Any material of suicient elasticity `and `strength may be employed in the construction of my improved wheel, for instance, vanadium steel, which is the preferred material for the rings 3 and the tire member 10 or 10'.

Since theelasticity of the wheel as well as its strength depends on the dimensions and the character of the materials employed, it will be obvious that I may construct wlieels of any quality desired, from the eXtra-light and extra-e astic ones suitable for aeruplanes, to the strongest and stanchest for use on motor-trucks and mi1itary armored ears. I may obtain Such a degree of elasticity that the ordina Y body sprins of the vehicle or craft ma dispense with, ,with a resulting simp ification of mechanism and increase in eficlency.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention: f A spring wheel comprising a continuous fiexibleannular tread member deformable radially so that its portions may move toward and from the center ofthe wheel a centrally-disposed hub, two spaced annular spring members located at opposite sidesiof the wheel and havingl their lnner portions secured to said hub, .t e other edges of said spring members being of smaller diameter than said tread member and having an unobstructed movement toward and from each other lengthwise of the wheels axis, and oblique connections extending from the tread member inwardly tothe outer portions of said spring members, and acting to pull the said spring members toward each' 60 other at such points of the wheel eriphery at which the tread member is deormed or bulged outwardly, thereby producing a local sti ening action in said spring members to i brace them against lateral strains.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MANUEL S. DE CARMONA.` Witnesses: i JOHN D. Vim HORN,

N.AnooL. 

